Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Ludvika

For one person, living costs are similar in Istanbul and in Ludvika: $1,550 and $1,544 a month, rent and utilities included.

75

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Ludvika
Learn more

Ludvika Living Index

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Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,550

/mo nomad

Ludvika

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,544

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Ludvika

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Istanbul and in Ludvika actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,550 per month in Istanbul vs $1,544 in Ludvika, rent included.

Istanbul $1,550
Ludvika $1,544

A couple spends around $2,415 per month in Istanbul vs $2,587 in Ludvika, rent included.

Istanbul $2,415
Ludvika $2,587

A family of three spends $3,281 per month in Istanbul vs $3,629 in Ludvika, rent included.

Istanbul $3,281
Ludvika $3,629

Istanbul and Ludvika have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Istanbul and Ludvika sit above the global median – Istanbul by 15%, Ludvika by 14%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 ₺609

$13.65 SEK 135

-9.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 ₺2,708

$65.3 SEK 647

-16.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ₺456

$9.70 SEK 96.2

-4.95%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$4.29 SEK 42.50

2.56%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ₺83.1

$2.54 SEK 25.17

-33.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.40

$2.22 SEK 21.97

-73.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.70 ₺233

$6.88 SEK 68.2

-31.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 ₺292

$7.00 SEK 69.3

-15.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺60.0

$1.68 SEK 16.63

-27.98%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 ₺44.10

$2.69 SEK 26.61

-66.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₺108

$3.80 SEK 37.67

-42.37%

Eggs

$2.35 ₺116

$5.05 SEK 50.0

-53.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 ₺516

$13.20 SEK 131

-21.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 ₺280

$12.86 SEK 127

-56.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.94 ₺1,037

$27.00 SEK 268

-22.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₺94.1

$3.12 SEK 30.87

-39.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$3.41 SEK 33.83

-32.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$3.52 SEK 34.84

-63.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ₺89.0

$4.19 SEK 41.49

-57.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₺32.16

$1.40 SEK 13.92

-53.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 ₺31.91

$1.72 SEK 17.00

-62.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₺62.1

$2.18 SEK 21.63

-42.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.58

$1.45 SEK 14.41

-61.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 ₺118

$7.15 SEK 70.8

-66.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 ₺664

$10.05 SEK 99.6

33.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₺119

$1.92 SEK 18.99

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₺172

$2.25 SEK 22.31

54.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ₺43.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 ₺3,338

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺64.1

$13.11 SEK 130

-90.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ₺45.70

$1.96 SEK 19.43

-53.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.96 ₺542

$79.6 SEK 789

-86.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.9

$1.76 SEK 17.39

-16.48%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$50.8K ₺2.5M

$33.5K SEK 331.8K

51.66%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$44.5K ₺2.2M

$32.1K SEK 318.0K

38.76%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$88.6 ₺4,387

$97.8 SEK 969

-9.43%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$11.59 ₺574

$19.65 SEK 195

-41.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.81 ₺783

$46.53 SEK 461

-66.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.2 ₺3,820

$29.93 SEK 297

157.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.74 ₺1,126

$49.60 SEK 492

-54.15%

Cinema Ticket

$8.14 ₺403

$16.10 SEK 160

-49.44%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,008 ₺49.9K

$216 SEK 2,138

367.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ₺2,671

$99.6 SEK 987

-45.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.83 ₺2,021

$52.5 SEK 520

-22.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ₺4,895

$93.8 SEK 929

5.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,783

$213 SEK 2,113

-54.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 ₺48.7K

$448 SEK 4,439

119.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$650 ₺32.2K

$428 SEK 4,241

51.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 ₺98.2K

$945 SEK 9,362

109.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 ₺58.4K

$980 SEK 9,712

20.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,138 ₺155.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,780 ₺88.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,205 ₺59.7K

$3,711 SEK 36.8K

-67.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.92

2.8

1361.43%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Istanbul: October 13, 2026

Last update for Ludvika: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$650 41.9%

Ludvika

$428 27.7% 34.1% $222

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$260 16.8%

Ludvika

$403 26.1% 55.2% $143

Eating Out

Istanbul

$223 14.4%

Ludvika

$257 16.7% 15.2% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.4%

Ludvika

$207 13.4% 58.2% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$116 7.5%

Ludvika

$164 10.6% 41.4% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6%

Ludvika

$62 4% 33.5% $31

Getting Around

Istanbul

$77 5%

Ludvika

$23 * 1.5% 70.2% $54

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Istanbul versus $448 in Ludvika. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 208% higher in Ludvika. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul versus $65.0 in Ludvika. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $403 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇸🇪 Ludvika

🕒 Local time

15:40 3:40 PM

14:40 2:40 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

26,343

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Ludvika 2,340 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Ludvika

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Istanbul vs Ludvika: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,325 per month in Istanbul and $2,316 in Ludvika. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ludvika, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Istanbul and $65.0 in Ludvika. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,008 per month in Istanbul and $216 in Ludvika. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ludvika, where all-in costs run around $1,544, than in Istanbul at $1,550. In Ludvika it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ludvika – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ludvika. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.